She turned back to the table. “I knew you would not understand.”
He gestured to the table. “Would he have understood?”
“Absolutely.” Raquel walked down the slope for some distance before vanishing from sight.
Henrick, left alone, gave a last look at the grave marker before vanishing also.
When both were gone, the bird returned to its perch and resumed its preening as if nothing had happened.
66
05-26-0067 — Stones
“Another day, another sore neck,” commented Dave as we walked towards our office.
“Who would ever have guessed we’d volunteer for an office job?” I asked.
He shook his head. We both knew what Master Lyshell was up to; he was making sure we understood what was involved and still wanted to be out here. He was being wise to ensure that we wouldn’t request immediate transfer, but unfortunately that meant we’d be stuck at our desks for a while longer. That was fine. We knew that he was out here hunting rogue magi, and the most dangerous kind; this was where the action was. Peace was secured in all populated sections of the Wizard Kingdom, and when there was a fight the combination of Battle Wizards and navy completely overpowered the pirates. No one dared attack the borders of the nation. It was the safest place in existence, and that made it downright boring.
It was tedious digging through computer records looking for these rogue magi, but the battles would be epic when they finally occurred. Master Raquel was already famous, and with how small Master Lyshell’s team was, we could not help but to rise in fame with him. Even if fame never came there would be action, and lots of it. That’s why we were out here and why we wanted this job.
It still involved digging through these reports and sorting the data, however. Sitting down at the terminal, I brought up the next set of reports. This one dealt with an undead uprising nearby. That could be interesting, and it was close enough to check directly. I moved it to the hot folder and then went on to the next one.
Around midday, we took a break and were eating a light lunch when Master Raquel walked in. I caught my breath as I saw her. She looked much younger, closer to my age, and her silver hair was now the color of polished, amethyst crystal, almost reflective in the harsh station lights. Many of the lines of age and worry had gone from her face. Her step seemed lighter, and she seemed to have lost some weight over the last few days. She was tall, powerful and beautiful.
Only her strange yellow eyes betrayed her age. They had a depth that told of eons of experience. I could fall into those eyes and be lost in a timeless sea.
“You boys ready for some real action?” she asked.
We jumped to our feet. “Yes, ma’am!”
“Good. I must meet with a contact in the underground, and he prefers to frequent rather disreputable places. You probably know the kind of place I mean. You will act as my hired bodyguards. Wear full battle dress, including wands. We leave in an hour.”
I could definitely guess the kind of place she meant, and it was no place for a lone woman; a mundane woman, that is. If anyone tried to get rough with Master Raquel, I was sure they wouldn’t live to regret it. With a face and body like she had now, someone was bound to try, so it seemed that the action we’d craved would happen earlier than expected.
“Yes, ma’am!” we replied.
We quickly finished our meal and went to our quarters to get ready.
“Does she look different to you?” asked Dave privately.
“Yes; much younger.”
“Lyshell said something about that earlier this week, but I didn’t think about it at the time,” he sent.
“Have we not seen her all week, then?” I sent, thinking back as I spoke. We had crossed paths a few times, but we’d usually had our faces buried in the data. I was anxious to complete this task. It was important, and we couldn’t use the data until we’d sorted it all, but it was very boring. I’d rather weed a thousand fields than do something like this. At least when you weeded, you were doing something physical; this was all routine, read, click and repeat.
“I don’t think so. We haven’t looked at her, anyway. What do you think happened?” he asked.
“No idea. She’s over ten thousand years old. Maybe she has a fountain of youth she visits regularly to stay alive?” I sent.
“I want to say that was impossible, but just the other week I was clear across the galaxy from here and it only took a couple of strides to cross that distance.”
He had a point. Life among wizards consisted of one impossible event after another. Surely a fountain of youth was beyond even the wizards, though? They all looked like they were aging, except Master Raquel.
We suited up and returned to her office. When we entered, she said, “Remove all insignia. It is preferable not to indicate any official status.”
“Good thinking, ma’am,” I said as we complied.
“Cast whatever preparation spells you wish to use now, as the distance from the gate to the pub is short. You are authorized to use whatever force you deem necessary, but try to conceal the fact that you are battle wizards.”
I turned to Dave. “Stone Skin?”
He nodded. “And Rock Guard.”
I nodded and cast both spells as he did the same. Stone Skin would render our skin a ghastly white but as strong as stone. Rock Guard would enhance our senses so that we would react faster to attack and be harder to surprise.
We turned to her and I said, “We’re ready, ma’am.”
She said, “When I open the gate, Dave will go through, I shall follow and Stones will bring up the rear. We will remain in that formation until we meet with the contact. Use telepathic channels to communicate.”
We nodded and she opened the gate. On the other side, we were greeted by a very rough crowd. The men and women were in various kinds of battle armor, and all carried weapons of some kind. Many had bloodstains on their clothes. It was as rough a place as they came, but not very different from some of the bars I had hung out in before joining the Battle Wizards.
We were noticeable in such a group, as Dave and I were in shiny, clean, top-of-the-line battle armor. Master Raquel’s armor was even more impressive, and she wasn’t wearing her helmet. Her thick hair spilled over the collar of her armor, and her tall stature allowed anyone nearby to see her beauty. Her armor was form-fitting, and the only obvious weapons she carried were two swords. Immediately we drew stares; we didn’t belong there and they all knew it. Master Raquel should have told us to wear distressed armor, and she could have worn her helmet; it seemed to me that she wanted to be spotted.
As we pushed through the crowd, I noticed several ongoing fights. That was a good indication that we probably wouldn’t have to worry about station security if things got out of control.
“I thought we joined the Wizards to get out of places like this,” sent Dave privately.
“Bah. You miss this sort of thing, and you know it.” Actually, he’d always hated these places, with good reason. Still, it was a welcome break from sitting at a terminal all day. We would undoubtedly see action today, but I didn’t like the odds. There were a lot of potential enemies, and the tight quarters would limit the advantage of our magic.
We hadn’t got far before a local tough tried to move between Dave and Raquel. He looked her up and down as he approached, practically drooling. He wrongly assumed that he could just push past Dave. We were veterans of this kind of crowd, and I suspect Dave barely gave the tough any thought.
Dave planted a foot behind the man’s knee and pulled down on his collar, sending him falling back to the floor. He fell hard, and his head made a ringing thud as it hit the metal floor plates.
“Amateur. Should have tucked his head,” sent Dave.
“Keep walking,” sent Raquel as she stepped over the dazed attacker. “Let’s get clear before he regains his senses and gets backup.”
We made it to the next section of the station where a group of men spread across the hall to s
top us. Dave leapt forward, driving his shoulder into the centermost thug’s stomach, sending him flying back into the gathering crowd.
Three men came running up behind us, drawing my attention away from Dave’s fight at the front. As they closed the distance, I cast Stone Fist and sent my left fist into one attacker, while sending my right fist at another. My fist connected, and there was a loud crack as ribs broke. They fell back, coughing and wheezing. The third one reached for me, but I intercepted his incoming arm; using it as a lever to spin him past me, I flung him away. He should have hit the ground face first, as was my intention, but instead he slammed into some bystanders.
More thugs of various races and genders started to gather. Several lay unconscious around Dave, but the new arrivals were drawing knives, clubs and other weapons.
Master Raquel stepped forward. “You will all move aside and let us pass.” Her voice was just loud enough to carry over the din but was calm and collected, and yet I thought I could almost detect a sense of eagerness in her tone. Was she looking for a fight? That would explain her lack of concern about fitting in, but it didn’t seem to fit the character of a wizard.
“Oh, yeah? Why would we do that?” came a voice from the crowd.
Master Raquel turned to the source of the voice and replied, “Because if you do not, your next of kin will have to explain to Wolf Pack why you caused us to be late.”
A chill fell over the crowd, and people started to back away.
“She’s bluffing,” called someone, just before his head was removed from his shoulders. As he fell, a man appeared behind him, sheathing a sword.
The crowd split from around him in a moving wave reminiscent of a school of fish scattering before a shark. He was dressed all in black and his face was completely covered, his only visible weapons two swords. Judging by the local reaction to his presence, it would not be wise to underestimate him.
“Claw,” said Raquel.
He touched his brow in salute, silently turned and went through a door into a bar.
“Follow him,” sent Master Raquel. Her mental voice betrayed annoyance.
As we obeyed, Dave sent privately to me, “This doesn’t seem right.”
“No. I’m not really sure what’s going on, but we know this is dangerous territory. Follow orders, and we can discuss it with Master Lyshell when we return.”
We entered a bar and approached a table, behind which sat a man in black armor. Claw and another man stood behind him. The three of them almost looked like a matched set; their builds, equipment and clothing all alike. Claw and his companion were obviously guarding the man sitting at the table, but my instincts told me that the seated man was the greater danger.
Master Raquel walked up to the table and dropped a datapad on it. “What is the meaning of this?”
“Direct and to the point,” said the man. His voice was completely flat and emotionless.
“I am a busy woman and dislike interruptions,” she said.
“I can appreciate that, so I’ll get to the point. Greymere owes me, and I’m calling in that debt. Since he reports to you now, I thought it polite to let you know.”
The man kept his voice emotionless and his face without expression. Master Raquel’s voice dripped with ice.
“How large a debt?” she asked.
“I tipped him off with some information that saved his life,” he said.
“Therefore to you the debt is minimal. Do you imagine that I will permit him to pay you?” she asked.
“For him, it is a very large debt. His honor will demand that he pays it, even if he has to sidestep you to do so.” He placed a second datapad on the table. “This contains the details.”
She picked it up, looked it over and then met his eyes. “If this task is completed, his debt is paid in full.”
He started to talk, but she cut him off. “That was not a negotiating point. The completion of this task cancels all his debt to you.”
“Has anyone ever told you that you make a horrible wizard?” he asked.
It was only then I noticed that roots had grown up around Claw and his partner’s legs. They didn’t struggle against them, but I was sure they couldn’t move. The vines appeared to be squeezing, but neither man gave any indication of being in pain. They remained as cool and calm as their boss.
“You do not want to cross me,” she said coldly.
“Very well; if he completes the rescue, his debt is paid. Don’t push me any further. You won’t like where it leads.”
She turned from him and called out a command word as she flung her hands apart. The whole station shook, and everyone between us and the exit was thrown to one side. She turned back to him, her voice as serene as ever. “Mortal, you have no idea with whom you are dealing.”
With that, she strode out of the bar as the occupants began to pick themselves up. Dave and I rushed to catch up with her. When we had, she cast a gate and we walked through it back to the Hospital Station, coming out in her office.
Greymere and Saraphym were there waiting for us. Greymere looked up, greeted Master Raquel and saw us. “There you are! I was wondering where you two had got to.”
Master Raquel said, “They accompanied me on a special mission to meet one of your old friends.”
Greymere seemed to freeze. “Who?”
She tossed him a datapad. “A group calling themselves ‘Wolf Pack’. They have a job for you.”
“Master Raquel, what’s going on?” I asked. I would have preferred to talk to Master Lyshell, but with Greymere here perhaps a direct confrontation was best.
She turned to me. “All of us have a past, Stones. Greymere’s past is rearing its head at a very inconvenient time.”
“Who is Wolf Pack?” asked Saraphym.
Master Raquel turned toward her. “They are known as the deadliest assassins in this region, which they may well be, but their primary role is brokering jobs, the type that can be found on the black market. They have an extensive network of people who are in debt to them, whom they use to complete the jobs.”
Greymere nodded. “They collect the pay and take very few risks. They do take on the hardest jobs as a matter of pride, but they farm out the rest.”
“And you owe them?” I asked.
“Yes. They tipped me off about a situation and made it possible for me to escape with my life,” he said as he studied the datapad. “I’m afraid I’ll have to leave for a while to take care of this.”
“No,” said Master Raquel.
Greymere opened his mouth to say something, but she stopped him. “First, we must capture the initiation signals sent to the implant tomorrow, then we shall complete this task. I persuaded him to agree that this will settle your debt in full, so we shall deal with the matter and move on.”
Surprise passed over his face. “But … ”
“But nothing, Wings. Wizards never stand alone,” said Saraphym.
67
05-27-0067 — Lyshell
“Must you pace, sir?” asked Stones.
“It has been hours, and still nothing,” I said.
The patient with the implants had left the hospital some time ago, but so far there was no indication that the cyborgs had attempted to make contact. Joan was back at the hospital as planned, tracking the woman and waiting for the contact we all expected, and I could do nothing but wait. We didn’t know the patient at all, and only knew the gender because Joan and the others had used female pronouns when discussing the plan. It could be days before they made contact, or even weeks. We had no reason to think they would do it right away.
So I paced.
“Yes, it’s been hours, and you’ve paced up and down for most of that time,” said Stones.
“Keep this up and you’ll wear a hole in the floor, and we’ll get to meet our downstairs neighbors,” commented Dave.
“The station is made of tougher stuff than that,” I said and continued to pace. “Besides, aren’t you supposed to be researching that rescue?”
<
br /> Greymere and Saraphym had slipped out into space to monitor the jump relays, just in case something got through that Joan’s team had missed. Master Raquel was elsewhere, leaving Stones, Dave and myself to wait for the message from Joan.
So I paced.
It was all I could do, pace and wait for a message from someone, anyone. Any message, even bad news, would at least end the waiting. I was powerless. I just had to wait and hope that Joan and the others were successful.
So I paced.
“Rots, man, how do you expect me to work with all this pacing going on?” asked Stones.
Dave grabbed a datapad and started following me as I paced.
I stopped and looked at him. “What are you doing?”
“Well, if you’re going to pace then let’s all pace and work,” he said and proceeded to pace right around me.
“Really?” I asked.
Stones grabbed a datapad and joined him. Soon they both were pacing back and forth along the same path I had taken. They over-emphasized the stressed posture I had assumed and stomped their feet as they went. They were mumbling something all the time.
“So, you think that’s funny?” I asked.
They kept pacing and jabbing at their datapads as if trying to refresh the screen over and over. Well, fine; if they wanted to make a joke of it, I could play that game too. I cast a spell to make the floor under their boots as slippery as ice. They both went down in a twisted pile of arms and legs, and their datapads flew from their hands and crashed to the floor. I would probably have to pay to have them replaced, but it was worth it; every last cent.
“You know what? You’re right. That was funny,” I said. They slipped and slid some more as they tried to get leverage on the nearly-frictionless surface. “Very funny indeed.”
The spell wore off and they got to their feet, laughing.
“Well played, Master Lyshell,” remarked Dave as he retrieved the two datapads.
“Sir, as long as we have to wait around, can we talk about Master Raquel for a moment?” sent Stones.
Mage Hunter (Lost Tales of Power Book 8) Page 34
